Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-05-05
Guillotining u Woman.

Paris Correspondence New York World.
A woman has been Cuillotined in
France for the first time in fifteen
years. The circumstances attending
the execution were horribly revolving,
rs were also tho circumstances at
tending the CRIME. The woman had
murdered her old mother, whom she
considered burden on her. She took
every precaution to insure the success
OF the murder. She first saturated the
old woman's clothing with oil, then
set fire to her and held her down with
q long stick while the decrepit old crea.
ture was roasting to death. The old
woman cried piteously for mercy, but
the heartless daughter held her down
till she was burned to a
crisp. And then, to crown
murder with blasphemy, she
placed a lighted candle before the stat
ne of the Virgin, as an act oi thanksgiv-
ING. for the successful issue OF themur'
der OF her mother. The inhabitants
Of the town, Ramortin, in which the
crime took place, were thrown into N
state OF unspeakabe excitement. The
authorities had much difficulty topre'
vent people from mobbing the prison
and lynching the prisoner. A speedy
trial--and trials in France are always
speedy alone satisfied the populace.
The woman was promptly condemned
to death,
The French, az is known, are repug.
nRnt to the death sentence, and
French juries come in for much ridi-
cule, apropos Of "eXtenuating circum.
stances" But in this case the trial
was over before other trials would
have been begun, Filial love In
France is one OF the strongest charac.
teristics OF the peasantry, and any one
who abuses parent IL relentlessly
tabooed from society.
In the present instance the repug.
nance OF the people in regard to the
execution OF " woman was overcome
by the atrocity OF the crime, and Pres.
ident Grevy, who IL opposed to cap
| ital punishment on principle, and who
sends nine out his ten murderers to
New Caledonia instead OF to NJ.
Deibler's machine, signed the death.
warrant without question.
When the arrival OF Mr. Deibler be-.
came known to the people OF the
town the evening before the execution
there was general rejoicing. The peo-
| Pile remained up all night to witness
the execution in the morning. Most
OF them "ere on the ground outside
the prison rs early as midnight. When,
about s o'clock in the morning, the
tumbril, or cart, appeared bearing he
murderess to the place OF execution,
tho assembled multitude sent up n
| Joyous shout. The distance from the
jail to the place of execution was long
but the entire populaco OF the town
followed the death cortege. All along
the way the people hooted and ieered,
the women especially, and pressed ut
times so thrcatingly around the vehi-
Gle that the gens.d armes had to draw
their weapons.
On arriving on the fatal spot dead
silence fell on the multitude. The
woman was ordered to descend from
the vehicle, but she did not respond to
the summons. She had tainted. The
officers removed her and carried her
to the guillotine, which was grimly
star ding in the morning tight. On her
way she recovered her senses and
screamed and resisted. she Was
promptly placed on the fatal instru'
ment, with her head thrust
through the basoule. Her screams
were drowned by the shouts OF the as.
sumbled people. They rushed around
the instrument, despite the efforts OF
the gens-d armes to keep them back,
Mothers held up their babies, and men
held up their little boys Mt arms length
to lot them witness the execution OF
the murderess, that they might re-
member the reaso on for life.
NJ. Deibler. who is humane man,
AZ far rs such may DO said OF an
executioner. did not prolong the scene.
He touched the "button" while the
culprit was screaming and the assem-
bled people shouting. The head drop
ped into the basket; the body was
thrown, with the discovered head ,intoa
wagon and hurried of to tho cemetery
The attendants OF NJ. Deibler washed
the blood from the flags and the ma
chine with their sponges, and the i'm
mense crowd returned home satisfied
that justice had been melted out to
the unnatural daughter who had SC
cruelty murdered her aged mother. II
is seldom such n CHASTITY scene is wit
nessed in France.